Servicing Tapered Wheel Bearings
You probably haven’t seen tapered wheel bearings in many late-model vehicles. It seems that nearly every vehicle made these days will run some sort of wheel hub assembly. There are a number of reasons for this, but the biggest reason is this: ease of assembly. Not assembly for those of us that work on these
Replacing Weak Springs
No road is entirely flat. Even a small tar strip or dip causes movement in the suspension. This movement is controlled by the spring and dampener. No matter the type of movement, the spring is compressed and then releases the energy into the body, dampener or road. During this cycle, the steel of the spring
Three Tips When Purchasing a New Automotive Lift
As one of the foundational pieces of equipment in your shop, getting the details right when spec’ing out a new automotive lift can help ensure your workspace remains safe and productive for the lifetime of the machine – often 15 years or longer. There’s a wide variety of lifts on the market, from two-post to
Don’t Let the Causes of TPMS Corrosion Cost Your Customers
No matter how far we get with TPMS technology, we still must go back to the basics of repair when it comes to hard parts. Corrosion is one of the leading causes of TPMS replacement. The chemical reaction that takes place when certain metals are exposed to moisture, salt, dirt and certain climates causes the
Wheel Bearing Analysis: Why Do They Fail?
Wheel bearings are tiny but mighty. Get this: On a typical passenger vehicle weighing around 3,400 pounds, each pair of front-wheel bearings, as well as the rear-wheel or axle bearings, supports around 850 pounds, depending on the weight balance and driveline configuration. If it’s a 6,000-pound SUV, each bearing might carry about 1,500 pounds. Wheel
Guidelines for Visually Inspecting a Shock or Strut
There have been many technical service bulletins written on how to visually inspect a shock or strut to help OEMs avoid needlessly replacing units under warranty. What was their conclusion? Some oil leakage is expected. The first thing you need to realize is that no seal is perfect. The seal that keeps the oil and
TPMS Matters Even More in an Electrified Vehicle
The upcoming era of electric vehicles is truly the topic of our time in this industry. As the infrastructure for this imminent change is getting put into place, it is easy to wonder what other changes will come our way when it comes to servicing these vehicles. As vehicles get smarter, safer and more efficient,
Catalytic Converter Theft: How it Can Affect Your Shop
In the past six months, we have seen a dramatic rise in catalytic converter thefts. Criminals are using lithium-ion battery-powered reciprocating saws to cut the catalytic converters out of vehicles. Criminals are not stealing them for replacement value because it is illegal to install a used catalytic converter unless it’s tested by the Environmental Protection
Launch Tech Releases The X-431 ADAS Pro Plus
Launch Tech USA has released its third-generation professional ADAS system calibration stand for passenger cars, the X-431 ADAS Pro Plus. The stand is made of an aluminum alloy material, which is lightweight and resistant to oxidation, the company says. The ADAS Pro Plus uses laser positioning and ranging so the target can be placed accurately and quickly. The
Hunter Engineering Offers Consumable Parts Ordering on Website
Hunter Engineering customers can now order genuine Hunter consumable parts on the Hunter company website, hunter.com, the company says. The company says the new Shop Hunter Marketplace offers more than 150 commonly ordered wear items for U.S. customers. Examples include tire changer polymer mount heads, tire paste and brushes, hooks for aligner targets, brake lathe
How Can Cars Communicate With Your Shop Equipment?
OEMs do not just manufacture vehicles out of steel, rubber and plastic. They are producing code for software or firmware at a staggering rate. This code is hardly ever finished. As vehicles in the field rack up the miles, they will update the code to cure problems the engineers did not originally anticipate. This code
TPMS Service Basics: That’s Right, It Can Be That Simple
The Direct Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) might be one of the most straightforward systems to understand on today’s increasingly complicated vehicles. Explained simply: A battery-powered pressure sensor mounted to each wheel gauges tire air pressure and transmits via radio frequency (most commonly, 315 or 433 Mhz, depending on the vehicle) the pressure first to
